Compact Inhomogeneous Permanent Magnetic Field Generator for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

ABSTRACT

A magnet assembly primarily for use in MRI applications is disclosed. The magnet assembly is composed of a single disk and ring permanent magnet set connected to a C-type magnet yoke and return fixture with asymmetrically arranged poles. Together, the permanent magnets create a strong magnetic field that has a large static gradient in the central enclosure. The magnet assembly is primarily designed for diffusion based MRI scanning but can perform routine MRI scanning as well.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. App. No. 61/138,940, filed on Dec. 18, 2008, entitled “COMPACT INHOMOGENEOUS PERMANENT MAGNETIC FIELD GENERATOR FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING.” the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT:

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to permanent magnet designs that can generate very strong and inhomogeneous fields primarily for NMR, MRI and MRT use.

2. Description of the Related Art

In Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) there is a need for compact, very efficient and robust imaging systems that can perform high quality neurological MRI studies. Specifically, it is desirable for these systems to be capable of diffusion, angiography and functional imaging studies. MRI scanners typically work by manipulating hydrogen nuclei of patients inside a large, static and homogeneous magnet with radio frequency fields under the application of various encoding pulsed gradient magnetic fields. Today there is a need to add diffusion based MRI studies to quantify the development of stroke and to point to appropriate treatment planning. The use of strong gradients yields more informative diffusion weighted images. However, large switched gradient fields are practically difficult and there are physiological limits to the rate of change of magnetic fields.

Consequently, there is a dire need for high strength magnetic field gradients without requiring gradient switching. These new systems will enable improved diffusion imaging (essential for stroke studies), sharper angiography studies and potentially less noisy functional MRI studies. The invention will have strong, static gradients and thus yield more informative diffusion weighted images. Additionally, by taking advantage of a large static gradient in the main magnetic field the device will be compact and easier to site thereby enabling widespread use.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following summary is included only to introduce some concepts discussed in the Detailed Description below. This summary is not comprehensive and is not intended to delineate the scope of protectable subject matter, which is set forth by the claims presented.

Based on the above considerations, it is an object of embodiments of the present invention to provide a magnet system with a large static gradient that is primarily suitable for neurological studies by MRI and is very compact, lightweight and easy to site.

An objective of embodiments of this invention is to provide a magnet system that is composed of permanent magnets made up of two major sections: a disk portion and a ring portion that together generate a very strong magnetic field. The magnetization directions in the disk portion are axially oriented while in the ring portions they are substantially radially oriented.

Accordingly, such an arrangement of permanent magnet arrays has the effect of concentrating the flux generated in the center while minimizing the flux externally. A C-type yoke system and return fixture further concentrates the flux in the center and minimizes leakage while also being used to support the permanent magnets.

Another objective of embodiments of the invention is to provide the ability to generate a large static gradient. This is achieved by eliminating altogether the symmetric bottom half of the PM blocks.

A further means of controlling the magnetic field in the center is provided by poles asymmetrically arranged top and bottom to form a constant potential surface and there between generate a linear static gradient magnetic field. The pole system's effectiveness is enhanced by the drastically reduced flux generated in it due to the combination of the disk and ring portions of the PM blocks.

As a consequence of the reduced fluxes the yokes and returns have reduced volumes throughout and particularly are much lower in volume on the side of the magnet system that doesn't have the PM blocks.

It is another object of embodiment of the invention to provide a magnet assembly for use in MRI applications having a pair of poles oriented about a plane of symmetry parallel to each there between defining an air gap region, a magnet as a magnetic field source secured on a surface of one pole opposite the air gap, the magnet connected to a yoke on the surfaces opposite the pole, another yoke symmetrically disposed on the other side of the air gap with the other pole attached to it on the side facing the air gap and the pair of yokes connected to each other by returns so that the entire magnet assembly can form a closed magnetic flux circuit to substantially confine the magnetic fields in the air gap, poles, magnets, yokes and returns whereby the air gap, being cylindrical in geometry, forms an imaging region to place subjects for the purposes of examination.

Other aspects of the invention will become clear from the drawings and detailed description to follow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the manner in which the above-recited and other advantages and features of the invention are obtained, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a 2-dimensional (2D) finite-difference, axisymmetric model of the magnet and major magnetic field flux contours of one embodiment of the current invention. The z-axis is the axisymmetry axis.

FIG. 2 shows a 2D finite-difference, axisymmetric model of the magnet and major magnetic field flux contours of one embodiment of the current invention with ONLY the disk portion of the PM blocks. The fluxes have a clockwise flow throughout the magnet. The z-axis is the axisymmetry axis.

FIG. 3 shows a 2D finite-difference, axisymmetric model of the magnet and major magnetic field flux contours of one embodiment of the current invention with ONLY the ring portion of the PM blocks. The fluxes have a counterclockwise flow in the upper yoke part while they are still vertically directed in the air gap portion adding to the fields generated in the air gap by the disk PM blocks alone in FIG. 2. The z-axis is the axisymmetry axis.

FIG. 4 shows a 3D boundary element model of one embodiment of the current invention.

FIG. 5 shows a 3-dimensional (3D) detailed cross-sectional view of the magnet in one embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 6 shows one half of the 3D boundary element model of one embodiment of the current invention showing the vector magnetic field profiles in the central imaging plane.

FIG. 7 shows a plot of the 3D boundary element model of one embodiment of the current invention along the central vertical axis showing a linear field variation of about 60 G/cm over a span of 25 cms.

FIG. 8 shows a similar plot to FIG. 7 with the x-axis position offset by −10 cm again showing a 60 G/cm linear variation along the central vertical axis over a span of 25 cms.

FIG. 9 shows a similar plot to FIG. 7 with the y-axis position offset by +10 cm once again showing a 60 G/cm linear variation along the central vertical axis over a span of 25 cms.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An inhomogeneous permanent magnetic field generator assembly will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be appreciated that, while the following description focuses on an assembly that generates magnetic fields for magnetic resonance imaging, the systems and methods disclosed herein have wide applicability. Notwithstanding the specific example embodiments set forth below, all such variations and modifications that would be envisioned by one of ordinary skill in the art are intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure.

The following design for an efficient compact MRI allows the magnet to shrink in size while trading off field inhomogeneity for increased field strength. With this advance, use can be made of compact magnets that have significant inhomogenieties. This permits the magnets to be lighter weight and have a smaller footprint.

Advances from fields such as quantum information processing have also led to ‘optimal control methods’ that can precisely manipulate for example, hydrogen nuclei inside an MRI device with an inhomogeneous static field if this field distribution is well known. Embodiments of this invention are intended for use with these kinds of precise control methodologies.

Current state-of-the-art technologies enable reducing the size and weight of open whole-body permanent magnet (PM) based MRI magnets by as much as 70%. See US Patent Publication No. US20090085700 of Lian, et. al., the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. For example, here is a comparison of current systems designed as open PM magnets using conventional and new efficient approaches:

0.3T 0.45T 0.7T Conventional designs: 15 Tons 20 Tons 30 Tons New efficient designs:  5 Tons 12 Tons 22 Tons

In addition to these efficiencies, the requirement of a large static gradient allows the altogether elimination of one side of the PM blocks of the typically required two, one on the upper and the other on the lower side. Therefore, the proposed magnet assembly is composed of a single disk and ring permanent magnet set connected to a C-type magnet yoke and return fixture with asymmetrically arranged poles. Together, the permanent magnets create a strong magnetic field that has a large static gradient in the central enclosure. This new configuration is extremely lightweight and compact in size.

The challenge of making a very efficient permanent magnet (PM) system can be met by using some recent advances and taking advantage of a large static gradient. Conventional, open PM systems use two disk-like PM blocks, one in the bottom and the other in the top to create a dipolar field in the air gap between them. Typical designs based on this approach can create central fields of up to 0.5 T for whole-body imaging. Although this is a very successful configuration when the need arises to go to higher magnetic fields there are many difficulties that arise. Many of the other support structures such as the yoke and return posts start to saturate or need to be made larger to sustain the added fields and consequently make the system unwieldy in size and weight. Moreover, the very important poles also saturate rendering them ineffective in providing a constant potential surface so that the fields in the air gap are homogeneous and stable against center frequency drifts induced by temperature variations.

Recent advances in PM based open MRI magnet designs (Lian, et. al.) address these problems by providing an additional field source strategically placed in the system. The idea is similar to taking advantage of natural efficiencies that arise in magnet systems based on Halbach-array type geometries. In addition to the conventional disk part of the PM blocks we add a ring PM as shown in the upper part of FIG. 1. The magnetization orientations in the upper disk-like portion of the PM blocks are vertical or axial while in the ring-like outer portions the magnetization orientations are radially out. This placement of the ring-like portion works as shown in FIGS. 2 & 3 where the disk part creates clockwise fluxes in the yokes and poles (FIG. 2) and the ring portion (FIG. 3) creates counter clockwise fluxes in the yokes and poles yet a vertically oriented field in the air gap as desired. Therefore, the poles and yokes, although the central field has been almost doubled, have significantly reduced fluxes flowing through them. Taking advantage of these kinds of efficiencies allows a dramatic reduction in the overall size and weight of open PM based MRI magnets.

A second equally significant effect that further reduces the size and weight of the system is a large static gradient in the central magnet field between the air gap. A very natural way to create this is to eliminate the lower PM blocks altogether. FIGS. 1, 2 & 3 already depict 2D field plots of an axisymmetric finite-difference model with the lower PM sections eliminated.

Exploiting all these features a 3D magnet design is shown in FIG. 4. This system has a footprint of about a 90 cm diameter and weighs around 0.8 metric tons. It has a static gradient of about 60 G/cm as shown in FIGS. 7-9 of the Bz component field distribution over a 25 cm region vertically and 20 cm region laterally. The PM magnet blocks have an energy density of about 47 MGOe. FIG. 6 shows what the vector plot over that central plane looks like.

The specific design considered above can be improved by a detailed optimization that first considers increasing the energy density of the PM magnet blocks to about 52 MGOe. This material is the highest energy density PM material that is commercially available and considered viable as a product. Additionally, the yokes and return posts that now compose about 60% of the overall weight can be significantly trimmed. However, this must be done without compromising structural integrity.

System 10, shown in FIG. 5, is a detailed cut-away view of the current invention. The upper part of the system is composed of yoke 1 a to which is attached PM disk block 2 with vertical magnetization orientation 2 a as depicted in the pictorial. Ring PM 4 is attached around the disk PM 2 with outward radial magnetization orientation 4 a depicted in this pictorial. The disk PM 2 and ring PM 4 have attached to them disk-like pole 9 a and ring rose shims 7 a as shown in the pictorial. The ring PM 4 has attached to it yokes 11 that extends the whole axial length of the ring PM and connects to the yoke 1 a. The lower part is comprised of yoke 1 b and base pole 9 b that has a different radius and thickness to upper pole 9 a. As depicted here it is lower radius but it can be higher depending on the design parameters and the desired specific static linear gradient main magnetic field. The rose ring shims 7 b are also offset relative to the upper ones 7 a and can have different height, thickness and overall dimension, again depending on the specific design goals for the main magnetic field. The upper and lower portions of the magnet systems are magnetically connected by return posts 3 to form a high reluctance path closed magnetic circuit containing leakage flux and concentrating the magnetic field in the air gap forming an imaging region 15 with a useable volume of at least 25 cm DSV.

Altogether, this new magnet has substantial benefits over previous or conventional magnet designs by being very lightweight and easy to site for MRI applications when used with the appropriate hydrogen nuclei control methods to obtain the desired neurological images.

The drawings and descriptions while demonstrating the main objects of the invention, together with the claims below are in no way meant to limit the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. Although this invention has been described in the above forms with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and numerous changes in the details of construction and combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A magnet assembly for use in MRI applications, said magnet assembly comprising: a pair of poles oriented about a plane of symmetry parallel to each there between defining an air gap region; a magnet as a magnetic field source secured on a surface of one pole opposite the air gap; said magnet connected to a yoke on the surfaces opposite the pole, another yoke symmetrically disposed on the other side of the air gap with the other pole attached to it on the side facing the air gap; and said pair of yokes connected to each other by returns so that the entire magnet assembly can form a closed magnetic flux circuit to substantially confine the magnetic fields in said air gap, poles, magnets, yokes and returns whereby said air gap, being cylindrical in geometry, forms an imaging region to place subjects for the purposes of examination.
 2. The magnet assembly of claim 1 wherein, each pole is comprised of a base section that is disk-like and is diametrically wide enough to generate magnetic fields in the air gap; said base material is made of a magnetically soft, high permeability material; the ends of each said base section having a ring-like section protruding into said air gap; said ring-like section being made of a magnetically soft, high permeability material; and said ring-like section having a height that can vary in length from zero to a finite value.
 3. The magnet assembly of claim 1 wherein, the magnet assembly is comprised of a solid disk-like central portion and an annular outer ring portion; said disk-like central section being magnetized substantially in the axial direction; said annular outer ring section being magnetized substantially in the radial direction; said magnet having its disk-like central section main magnetization orientation pointed axially with the North Pole pointing towards the yoke so that said adjacent annular outer ring portion relative to this orientation has its main magnetization orientation pointed radially out; and an opposite orientation for the magnet being possible if in the magnet the North Pole for the magnetization in the disk portion points away from the yoke and said adjacent radial section magnetization points radially in.
 4. The magnet assembly of claim 1 wherein, one yoke provides a support structure for the magnets and poles on the side with the magnets; and said yoke being comprised of a base yoke section and an annular ring section; said base section being sufficiently massive to carry magnetic field flux through it without substantial leakage; said ring section of the yoke being sufficiently massive to carry magnetic field flux from the ring sections of the magnet; said ring section of the yokes being located adjacent to the ring portions of the ring magnets for an efficient and even flux distribution throughout the magnetic circuit; said ring section of the yokes containing all the magnetic flux within it without substantial leakage into surrounding magnetic circuit structures and air regions; and the other yoke opposite said yoke supports the whole magnet and provides support for the other pole opposite the air gap across from the magnet side.
 5. The magnet assembly of claim 1 wherein the use of only one magnet source on one side of the air gap to create a large static gradient.
 6. The magnet assembly of claim 2 wherein the poles are diametrically asymmetric and this asymmetry being able to be adjusted to achieve the requiste static gradient as a means of shimming.
 7. The magnet assembly of claim 2 wherein, said base section can be polygonal in shape; and said ring section can be polygonal in shape.
 8. The magnet assembly of claim 7 wherein, said base section can be made of a magnetically hard material as well as a magnetically soft material as claimed in claim 2 and also combinations thereof; and the outer circumferential edge of said base section can also be comprised of a permanent magnet material.
 9. The magnet assembly of claim 7 wherein said ring section can also be comprised of a permanent magnet material.
 10. The magnet assembly of claim 3 wherein, said central disk-like sections can be polygonal in shape; and said annular ring sections can be polygonal in shape.
 11. The magnet assembly of claim 10 wherein, each said central disk-like or polygonal section having subsections that are substantially axially magnetized but exhibiting slightly different axial magnetization orientations relative to each other; and within each said annular or polygonal outer ring section having subsections that are substantially radially magnetized but exhibiting slightly different radial magnetization orientations relative to each other.
 12. The magnet assembly of claim 4 wherein, said ring portion improves the high reluctance path in the surrounding regions exclusive of the magnetic circuit, in particular, the regions between the said top portion of the yoke and the permanent magnet sections thereby enabling the return posts to be placed closer into the air gap even making contact with said ring portion of the yoke; and said ring portion being either tapered from the yoke end towards the air-gap end or completely eliminated to save weight.
 13. The magnet assembly of claim 12 wherein the ring portion can be a permanent magnet with magnetization orientation substantially in the axial direction to extend the homogeneous region in air gap and aid in further shimming the central imaging region.
 14. The magnet assembly of claim 3 having a ferromagnetic section to reduce mechanical forces during assembly increasing central field value and reducing saturation of the poles.
 15. The magnet assembly of claim 11 wherein the separate ring portions of the magnets are able to be mechanically moved so that the central field and homogeneity can be adjusted.
 16. A magnet assembly for use in magnetic resonance imaging applications, said magnet assembly comprising: an upper and lower magnetic pole oriented about a plane of symmetry parallel to each there between defining an air gap region; an upper magnet as an upper magnetic field source; the upper magnet having a upper magnet bottom surface secured to an upper pole top surface, the upper pole top surface being opposite upper pole surface facing the air gap region; the upper magnet connected to an upper yoke on the upper magnet top surface; a lower yoke symmetrically disposed opposite the air gap; the lower yoke attached to the lower magnetic pole on a lower pole top surface facing the air gap region; and said pair of yokes connected to each other by a plurality of returns whereby the magnet assembly can form a closed magnetic flux circuit to substantially confine the magnetic fields and the air gap forms an imaging region to place a subject for examination. 